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I have recently moved to Longbrooke and couldn't be more happier with my decision. However, I was wondering why many people still haven't heard of the neighborhood. It is right off of Johnston Rd on Possum Hollow Rd just a few miles past the NC/SC border making it a truly wonderful location. Travelling to Ballantyne takes about 8-10 minutes during rush hour and a little bit shorter at all other times during the day. The Lancaster County tax rates are also very good making it far more affordable than Meckenburg County.
I was in the market for a new home for over 6 months and finally settled on Longbrooke after closely looking at many neighborhoods in South Charlotte, Indian Land and Fort Mill. These neighborhoods included Bridgehampton, Bridgemill, and a few neighborhoods off of Doby's Bridge Rd which I can't remember the names at the moment. All the neighborhoods were very nice, however, as mentioned before, I couldn't be happier with my final selection. So to me, it seems odd that not many people are aware of Longbrooke. It is very close to Bridgemill (less than a mile..probably even closer) and we've noticed properties selling like hot cakes in Bridgemill. Even though Bridgemill is a very very nice neighborhood (I almost bought a house there), I feel that I made the right choice by moving to Longbrooke. Other than not having all the amenities (pool, tennis, etc) like Bridgemill, I feel that Longbrooke offers far more. The homes are truly custom (pick you own builder, pick you own time to build), it is gated, homes are larger on average, many homes offer 4 car garages, the neighborhood has an "Old World European" feel and there are only sixty something odd lots (only about 12 homes at the moment) versus nearly 700. Having only sixty something homes (when fully develeoped) in a neighborhood makes it feel a lot more exclusive than the larger neighborhoods like Bridgemill. Don't know if the lack of awareness/desire about Longbrooke is due to poor marketing or if people just prefer neighborhoods like Bridgemill/Bridgehampton (more Georgian Styled home) over Longbrooke (Old World European Styled homes).
Anyways, just wanted to get some thoughts on Longbrooke versus other competing neighborhoods in the area.
I think people with families would prefer a larger neighborhood like Bridgemill for their kids' sakes (friends, sense of community, etc...). The newest neighborhoods off of Doby are Massey and The Forest. Also, most people with children prefer the Fort Mill Schools. There's a gorgeous older neighborhood off of Doby called Beckenham if one is into "exclusive". The homes are amazing.
Marndt, I don't suspect cost being a big concern as there are plenty of homes in Bridgemil/Bridgehampton/Beckenham subdivisions in the $500+ category and even higher.
plotzonit, thanks for bringing my memory back. Beckenham is in fact the neighborhood we looked at on Doby's Bridge...I believe there was an East and a West portion of the subdivision. Yes, the houses there are amazing but homes in Longbrooke are just as amazing! Another perk of Longbrooke is that the oldest homes in Longbrooke are only a few years old. We looked at about 5 homes in Beckenham....they all seemed to range between $550k and $600k. However, we gave Longbrooke and Bridgemill more consideration as we preferred the proximity to Johnston Rd (hwy 521....making it far more convenient to Ballantyne and I-485.
Regarding the schools, that was also a huge concern for us. We moved from Ballantyne and even though CMS may not have the best schools as a whole, schools in S Charlotte are very good. However, after doing further research, we were happy to learn that all the Indian Land schools were highly regarded. All three made the list for top schools in SC...of course, Fort Mill schools were on the list as well.
The sense of community argument could definitely be made if comparing Longbrooke to Bridgemill as Bridgemill will have 700 homes when done along with a very nice pool, tennis courts, etc. However, in this regard, Longbrooke and Beckenham seemed to be the same. However, I will say that I've already met most of my neighbors already in Longbrooke and have only been there for a very short time. They have all been very welcoming!
Thanks for all the feedback/opinions...interested in hearing more!
There's only one Beckenham. You are probably referring to Oxford East and Oxford West. Those are nice, but nowhere near as nice as Beckenham. Just curious why you're posting about your neighorhood not being popular. If I were happy with my hood, I'd keep it a secret! LOL! I wouldn't put too much stock in newer homes. Seems the newer they are, the worse they are built! I was at a bridal shower in Oxford once when it was newer - I felt like I was walking on a trampoline the floors bounced so much. And the home was over 400K at that time (about 2003). Not trying to sound mean. Just my take. I miss my old home in NY that was built in the 50s. That thing would probably stand a hurricane on top of a tornado. I wish people would learn to say "no" to poor quality. It's especially sad when someone puts so much money into a house. A friend of mine built a new house in McKendry off of Doby - the leaky water stains on their 300k house are enough to make my stomach turn. But, besides the point, I'm glad you are in a neighborhood you love. That really does mean something. My desire is to get rid of our stairs and get a one story home someday. But by then, it'll probably be a nursing home!
Yep, you're absolutely right. Beckenham is right across The street (Doby's Bridge) from one of the Oxfords. We look at all three subdivisions. There was a basement home in Oxford that was really really nice...was on like 2 acres as well. But overall, yes, Beckenham is much nicer.
plotzonit, the reason I started this post was to gather different views and opinions. In addition, if there was a reason people were not aware of Longbrooke, I figured it be good to learn why. There are still lots for sale in Longbrooke and I want potential buyers to know all of their options.....esp if they are considering building a custom home as I feel it will appeal to that crowd.
Truthfully, I think there are so many new subdivisions... and many more to come. Indian Land is a nice area and I think, for now, Bridgemill is the "in" hood there. I know a couple of people who live there and I hear people talk about it all the time, but it's a subdivision that's been in the works for a while now. So, that being said, the larger hoods like Bridgemill are going to get more "he said, she said, they told two friends, and so on..." type traffic and people buying there. I think Indian Land is going to see many more subdivisions go up in the future. We moved out here in 2001 and I can't believe the hoods that have popped up. I remember when the 160 through Tega Cay was a simple two lane road and some plazas didn't exist. There also weren't many traffic lights through Fort Mill. This place just exploded, but I think in a nice way. I wouldn't worry about your neighborhood not being popular. That certainly doesn't mean anything is wrong with it. I just think the larger hoods fill up first due to word of mouth. That and maybe the almost finished subdivisions probably get more realtor traffic.
I think a lot of it is that Longbrooke seems inaccessible. I live in Bridgemill and pass it all the time, the gates are always closed and people can't ride through to look around. The higher dollar houses in Bridgemill are coming down in sale price, even the newer ones. I think the amenities and HOA activities that Bridgemill puts together are second to none and I would miss that living anywhere else.
Jake, that's a good point....the gates do make the neighborhood a bit inaccessible. Even if one were to be interested in checking out the subdivision, they would not be able to without a realtor. I wonder if the HOA board has considered this...maybe I'll bring it up.
Regarding the amenities, yes, if those are a top priority, it doesn't get much better than Bridgemill. However, I've heard that Longbrooke in currently considering adding amenities for their property owners. As things mature, I'll keep you guys posted.
BTW, we also looked at homes in Firethorne during our search. Very nice homes but didn't find any good values....just my opinion.
I think it does have to do with little to no promotion. I do think the neighborhood changed hands over the past few years, things were REALLY slow in there for quite awhile with no new construction and a few houses sitting vacant. Glad to see things are picking up in there again, those homes are beautiful.
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